'I'm fat' shifts to 'I'm old' as women age

A new study finds that as a woman ages, she doesn't necessarily go any easier on herself. Rather, aging women tend to replace negative thinking about large thighs or muffin tops with concerns over looking old and wrinkled.

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A study from Trinity University in the US examined the self-critical talk of 914 women between the ages of 18 and 87 from the US, the UK, and Australia. Participants responded to an online survey about their age, weight, and body image.

Among all age groups, 81% of women reported at least occasionally making comments about looking or being fat, with 33% of the sample deriding themselves in this fashion frequently.

Additionally, 66% of the women said they talked about looking old, with 15% saying they did so frequently, reports LiveScience.

As women reached their sixties, they tended to talk less about being fat, but fears of aging crept up in even the youngest group in the sample.